Black bass has been around since prehistoric times, first appearing on cave walls as early as 5,000 B.C.
It’s one of the most popular fishes out there today, especially among those who love fishing.
If you enjoy catching your own fresh fish from the ocean or lake, then this fish is also something that will be familiar to you.
In fact, it’s often referred to as “the king of all freshwater fish” because of its high market value and popularity.
Black bass is very similar to other types of fish like trout, perch, pike, and catfish.
What Are The Ingredients In A Black Bass Recipe?
The basic cooking method for any type of fish is pretty much the same no matter what kind of fish it is — just make sure to follow the instructions carefully so you don’t end up overcooking the meat or burning yourself!
If you’re new to cooking fish at home, here are some tips from our article on how to roast chicken recipes:
- Don’t overcrowd the pan.
- This prevents the food from browning evenly and can cause the temperature inside the oven to rise too quickly.
- Preheat your oven before putting the fish in it.
- Preheating the oven helps ensure even heating throughout the entire baking process.
- Use proper ventilation when roasting fish.
- Make sure the door of the oven isn’t closed while the fish is being cooked.
- Make sure you have enough space between the baking dish and the oven wall to avoid hot steam building up against the glass.
- Put aluminum foil underneath the fish to catch any drippings.
- Remove any bones from the fish if they aren’t already removed during cleaning.
In terms of the actual ingredients used in this recipe, we recommend using cod fillets instead of whole pieces of fish (unless you want to use a larger piece).
For best results, cut them into four equal portions after removing the skin — two for each person eating.
A good rule of thumb is to allow about 1/4 cup of flour per pound of meat, but you should check the package directions to see exactly how much flour is needed.
We recommend using flour rather than cornstarch because it will help thicken the sauce more effectively without affecting the taste of the fish itself.
As always, the key ingredient in any seafood recipe is quality.
You need to choose only top-quality seafood products whenever possible to guarantee the highest level of flavor and texture.
To find out which brand offers the best selection, read our guide to choosing premium seafood online.
Ingredients for a black bass recipe
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt + additional sea salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- Zest and juice of 2 lemons
- Four 4 ounce (113 g) cod filets
- Flour for dredging
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Cooked rice pilaf
- Vegetable oil spray
How Do You Cook Black Bass?
There are many ways to prepare black bass, but we recommend baking it at home due to its ease-of-use nature.
If you want to try cooking it another way, check out our guide to how to grill fish, which includes tips and tricks for preparing both small and large fish species.
To start off with, grab some nice fillets of black bass and place them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Next, sprinkle the fillet with just a bit of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Afterward, add a little olive oil into a hot pan over medium heat, and let it simmer until the oil starts to bubble up.
Once the oil starts bubbling, turn down the heat slightly so the oil doesn’t burn.
Once the oil stops burning, flip the filets once more, and give them about 1 minute on each side before removing them from the oven.
You can serve these with either mashed potatoes or rice pilaf, if desired.
Now, onto the next step! After they come out of the oven, remove the skin from the filets using a knife.
Then, use a sharp paring knife to cut along the bone and open up the filets to form two halves.
Place them back on the prepared cookie sheet, and repeat the process with the remaining two fillets.
What Is The Best Way To Season Black Bass?
The easiest method of cooking black bass involves baking it in a pan.
You can either use butter or olive oil (or both) to grease the pan before placing the fish in it.
After greasing the pan, add salt, pepper, and minced garlic to the mix.
Once everything is mixed thoroughly, place the fish into the hot pan and bake until cooked through.
Depending on how big the fish is, you may need anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes to cook it properly.
You can also make this dish by putting the fish into a cast iron skillet and frying it over medium heat.
To fry the fish, pour about half an inch of vegetable oil into the pan.
Add the fish along with salt, pepper, and minced garlic.
Allow the fish to sit in the hot oil while stirring occasionally.
When the fish begins to turn golden brown, remove it from the pan and allow it to rest for 3-5 minutes so it cools down completely.
If you want to keep the skin crispy after removing the fish from the pan, flip it onto a plate and let it set for another minute.
Then move the fish back to the original pan to finish off cooking.
Once the fish is fully cooked, drizzle it with melted butter or cheese sauce, such as béarnaise.
Serve immediately!
What Are Some Common Side Dishes To Serve With Black Bass?
The simplest thing you can do for black bass is just add it to an already-prepared salad dish.
Some people even bake their fish in the oven right alongside the main course so they don’t have to worry about cleaning up extra plates after dinner!
However, if you want to prepare black bass for yourself and family members at home, here are some great ideas for sides to accompany it.
- Baked potatoes
- Mashed potatoes
- Green beans
- Rice pilaf
- Fresh vegetables (broccoli, spinach, carrots)
- Garlic bread
- Fried rice
You may not always find these items listed next to the recipes for each particular fish species online.
That’s why we recommend finding them through personal experience rather than relying only on what you see written down.
There are lots of different ways to cook black bass, but the above are some of the most basic things you should consider.
Cooking Methods
There are two basic methods of cooking black bass: steaming and baking.
Steaming involves submerging the fish into boiling water until cooked completely, while baking uses dry heat instead.
Both cooking techniques require minimal preparation time and effort, making them ideal for beginners who aren’t necessarily comfortable preparing complicated dishes.
Steaming
This method requires no special equipment besides a pot or pan on top of a stovetop.
You simply place the fish inside the pot with plenty of cold water, cover it, and wait until it cooks properly.
Once the fish turns opaque white, it’s ready to eat.
Baking
To create a nice crispy skin on the fish during baking, it needs to be seasoned first.
To make sure everything comes together nicely, combine 1/4 cup of flour, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper together in a small bowl.
Place the mixture onto a plate or shallow dish and dip the fillets into it before placing them directly onto a rack or cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil.
Bake them at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, flip them over, and continue to bake another 15 minutes.
Afterward, remove the rack or cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Both baking and steaming are effective methods for cooking black bass, but you might want to try both depending on how much time you have available.
If you prefer to stay away from any type of added ingredients, baking could be the better option for you.
How Do You Know When Black Bass Is Done Cooking?
When you buy black bass in stores, it usually comes with a small bag of seasonings already included.
These can include things such as Old Bay, lemon juice, and spices.
If you want to add more flavor to your fish, you can always make your own homemade sauce by combining different ingredients together.
For example, if you wanted to give your black bass an Asian flair, you could combine soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and sugar into one bowl.
Then, mix these together until they form a thick paste.
You could even use honey instead of sugar if you prefer sweet flavors.
Once you have created your sauce, pour it over your cooked fish before serving it to your family members so everyone gets their fill of the tasty dish!
Here are a few ways to cook black bass at home:
- Bake the fish fillets directly onto a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil.
- Use a slow cooker.
- Grill the fish.
Whatever method you choose, just remember to follow the instructions carefully so you don’t end up burning your fish!
To ensure that your black bass isn’t overcooked, try taking note of how long it takes for the flesh to turn opaque white.
When you take off the fish skin, look inside the cavity of the fish to check if the meat is still pinkish-red in color.
Other tips to keep in mind while preparing black bass
While you might think that black bass is extremely fragile, it actually requires less time to prepare than many other types of seafood.
For instance, codfish needs about 10 minutes of cooking time, but black bass only needs 4 minutes.
So, if you want to save yourself some effort, you should consider purchasing frozen fish rather than trying to catch it yourself.
Also, if you find that your fish is too large for your budget, try buying smaller pieces so that they won’t cost you too much money.
Lastly, if you would like to cut down on waste, you should always remove any bones from the fish before you start cooking it.
Doing so makes sure that you get rid of everything except the edible parts of the fish, which means that you aren’t wasting anything.
Is Black Bass Healthy To Eat?
There are many health benefits associated with eating black bass, but some people still have concerns about whether they should consume black bass at all.
Some individuals may feel intimidated by the thought of preparing and serving their own meals, so these recipes can make it easier for them to get started in the kitchen.
The main reason why black bass is considered a healthy choice is because it contains lots of omega-3 fatty acids and protein, which help reduce inflammation throughout our bodies.
Other nutrients found in black bass include vitamin D, calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, and potassium.
In terms of calories, black bass does not contain any saturated fat, trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, nitrites, MSG, artificial sweeteners, pesticides, preservatives, hormones, steroids, or GMOs (genetically modified organisms).
However, if you want to avoid certain ingredients while preparing this dish, you can substitute olive oil instead of butter, use whole wheat flour instead of white flour, and swap out the canned tomatoes for diced fresh tomatoes.
What Is The Origin Of The Black Bass Recipe?
The black bass recipe was originally developed by Native Americans in North America.
They found black bass to be an excellent source of protein and fat, which made them ideal food sources for their survival.
They would dry the fish using fire-heated rocks, and later smoke them over burning cedar wood.
These methods are still used in some regions of Alaska to prepare black bass dishes today.
In Europe, the black bass recipe wasn’t really known until the 1800s when French explorers brought back the fish from the New World.
However, they were already well aware of how important these fish were to the natives of Northern Canada.
Since then, the black bass recipe has changed quite a bit.
Today, chefs use different cooking techniques so that the taste of the fish doesn’t get lost in translation.
How Can You Make Black Bass More Interesting?
When it comes to making black bass recipes more interesting, here are some things you should consider doing in order to ensure that your dish doesn’t become boring:
- Add vegetables into your black bass recipe – You don’t have to stick with just black bass if you want to spice up your dinner! Try adding different vegetables such as carrots, green beans, broccoli, or even sweet potatoes.
- If you do decide to add veggies, remember to cut them into small pieces so they cook evenly throughout the entire baking process.
- Use herbs instead of spices – Herbs are an excellent way to change up the flavor profile of your meals without using too many ingredients.
- Instead of using spices, try adding rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage, oregano, basil, dill, or cilantro.
- Try different sauces – Black bass may seem like a simple fish but there are countless ways that you can dress it up with different flavors.
- For example, you could use tomato sauce, tartar sauce, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, or honey mustard.
- Put it in a taco shell – Black Bass tacos are always fun when done right.
- They’re usually made by wrapping the fillet inside a tortilla shell, which gives the meat extra crunchy texture while creating a tasty bite-sized treat.
- Mix it with seafood – Seafood is another great ingredient to include in your black bass recipe.
- Just mix it together in whatever combination suits you best! Some ideas include crab legs, shrimp, clams, mussels, lobster tails, scallops, squid, or octopus.
What Is A Black Bass Alternative?
The word ‘alternative’ in this instance refers to a new way of doing things that may not have existed previously.
As such, when we talk about alternatives to black bass, we mean an idea that was developed by someone else (e.g., someone created another type of fish).
When talking about black bass alternatives, many people think of the term “white bass.” However, they aren’t exactly the same thing! White bass are different species than black bass, so if you want to know what white bass recipes look like, check our article on how to cook white bass.
Here at Frugal Foodie, we don’t typically recommend substituting any particular fish with another type of fish unless it’s part of a recipe where that specific substitution makes sense.
But sometimes, even though we try to stick to traditional recipes, we come across a situation where we feel that a change would benefit both the original recipe and the overall taste of the dish.
In this case, we wanted to share a black bass alternative recipe here on Frugal Foodie.
We did find several recipes online for cooking black bass, but none of them were quite right for us.
So, we decided to develop our own version.
And after trying this recipe out ourselves, we couldn’t believe just how good it tasted!
So, now we present you with our top-secret black bass alternative recipe…and hopefully, you’ll agree that it tastes better than anything you’ve tried before!
What Are Some Tips For Making The Perfect Black Bass Dish?
The following tips can help you make sure your black bass is cooked perfectly every time:
- Don’t overcook your fish.
- If you cook it too long, then it will become dry and tough.
- Cooking the right temperature is important.
- You want to keep the temperature at about 145 degrees Fahrenheit (63 C).
- You should season your fish before cooking.
- This includes using an oil-based marinade to coat the fillet so that the flavor goes into the flesh instead of just being absorbed by the skin.
- Do not add any extra ingredients such as butter, flour, or bread crumbs.
- These things could alter the texture of the fish and affect how well it cooks once it comes off the grill.
- Make sure you use a good quality oil when sautéing your vegetables.
- Extra virgin olive oil makes the best tasting sauce for this fish.
- When baking your fish, do not overbake it.
- Undercooking will result in a mushy texture while overcooking will cause the outside of the fish to toughen up.
- So don’t wait until the last minute!
- Use only fresh herbs – no dried ones please! Dried herbs have lost their potency and can actually interfere with the taste of your food.
- Forget about adding anything else besides salt, pepper, and garlic.
- There really isn’t any need to include additional spices or herbs unless they are specifically required for the dish you are preparing.
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 3- pound black bass whole, gutted and scaled
- 1 bunch parsley fresh
- 1 bunch tarragon fresh
- 1 bunch thyme fresh
- 1 head fennel thinly sliced, fronds reserved
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup capers chopped
- 2 lemons thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup olive oil extra-virgin
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups white wine dry
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into pats
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Rinse the fish and pat it dry with a paper towel. Each side of the fish should be scored 3 to 4 times on a bias, about 1/2-inch deep.
- Separate one-third of the parsley, tarragon, and thyme into a large bunch with the stems still attached. Finely chop the smaller, separated bunch. Make a herby citrus marinade with one-quarter of the fennel slices, one-third of the fronds, garlic, and capers, and two lemon slices.
- Rub the chopped herb mixture inside and outside of the fish, as well as inside the slits, with the olive oil. The herby citrus flavors will permeate the fish as a result. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
- Half of the remaining herbs, fennel, lemon slices, garlic, and capers should be placed in a bed on the bottom of a roasting pan, and the other half should be placed inside the cavity of the fish. Place the fish in a baking dish.
- Place the pan in the oven and evenly distribute the wine and butter pats. The wine will keep your fish moist and steam it, as well as make a delicious sauce with the butter. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and the skin is crispy and flaky.
- Transfer the fish to a serving platter and top with the Israeli Couscous (be careful, the fish is tender and can break). To serve, pour the sauce from the pan over the fish and fillet.
Video
Nutrition
My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.